FoH: Forgotten Offspring Hidden
by Cougarcreed
Summary: Graydon Creed, the FoH and a dasterdly plot to.... well read the fic already!
1. Default Chapter

FoH: Forgotten Offspring Hidden

The X-Men Belong to Marvel Comics and are used without permission. No money is being made from this story, I'd loved to be hired by Marvel so I could but like that will happen… right. Graydon T. Creed Jr. is my Baby, So if you want to use him please ask, submit a blood sample and write a 1, 000,000 word explanation on what you want to do with him and then I might let you borrow him. 

Note: I've always wanted to write an FoH fic, I finally found the right story drifting around my mind and typed it out. I may have some more FoH fics later on.

(After a little research I found that Creed is an English and Irish Surname. **Origin: English**. **Coat of Arms: **An ermine shield with three gold leopards faces on a black chevron engrailed. **Crest: **An oak branch with a dove. **Origin: English** Spelling variations include: Creed, Creede, Crede, Cread, Creade, Creeds, Creedes and many more. 

First found in Cornwall where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A. Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Penelope Creed who arrived in New York in 1820; Jonathon Creed arrived in the Barbados in 1679 with his wife and daughter; Edward Creed settled in Virginia in 1663; John Creede, his wife Mary, son John, and servants arrived in the Barbados in and others. )

FoH: Forgotten offspring Hidden

By DelCreed (griffincreed@hotmail.com)

Started on: October 19, 2002

Finished on: October 20, 2002

New York:

The sirens screamed loudly along 5th Ave. as more police joined in the fight where Men dressed in outlandish clothing were firing on their fellow officers from behind barricades, with strange beams, rays and lasers of all colors. The battle between these mutants and the NYPD was heating up when a young Officer saw a chance to stop two of the lead attackers. The officer was a rookie just out of the academy, he crept up on the two exposed men only to be taken out by a third he hadn't seen and the three strangely dressed men closed in around him.

"This the guy?" One asked as his cohort turned the young man face up to look down at the Officer's name tag and face.

"Ya this is the man we were sent for, grab him and signal the others to beat it back into the sewers. After we get away set off all the flash bombs to buy us some time." The Officer was lifted onto the burly man's shoulders and carried down into the city's sewer system.

*

X-Mansion: Later the same day.

The X-Men sat watching the news reports for the day on the large monitor in the War room; seats were limited with most of the X-Men there, with some of the members of the visiting group X-Factor joining them too. Creed, in his inhabitation collar, sat slumped in his seat next to Forge still sulking because of his inability to get a rise out of the runt and he'd been trying ever since he'd gotten to the mansion an hour ago for the cookout that was starting later on. Jubilee had taken Wolverine aside earlier and asked him to ignore Creed, she'd said that if he ignoring the savage mutant it would ticked Sabretooth off even more, and as time went on Logan saw she was right so it got easier for him to keep his promise. Scott turned up the volume and Forge hushed Creed's grumbling as a breaking news report started.

:News report:

"Today a confrontation between police and a group of unidentified mutants culminated in the detonation of several flash bombs that aided the mutants to escape from the scene." Footage caught on security videos and bystanders of the battle was spliced together to show some of the confrontation. "After the confusion was over the disappearance of a 20 year old rookie officer, Graydon T. Creed Jr., was discovered by his partner." Another block of footage showing the after affects of the battle took up the full screen of the monitor, and a man of about Scott's age was the camera's focus, he was yelling at the other officers.

"I'm telling you the kid was right beside me all the way till he saw a little girl crying for her mother out there in the open and he ran out to get her to safety, then those mutants tried to use them both for target practice. Toby had to duck behind a dumpster, that's the last I saw of him till he rushed an opening in one of the barricade and got knocked out from behind. I'm telling you they took him with them when they disappeared." The other Officers tried to calm him down. "Calm down, that's my partner who's missing!" The news anchor was back on screen. 

"Our research has revealed that Officer Creed is in fact the biological son of Senator Graydon Creed," A campaign photo of Senator Graydon Creed's smiling face appeared on screen followed by some footage of him shaking hands with the president. "Sources within Senator Creed's entourage confirm that Graydon Jr. was born to a former lady friend of the Senator, who'd never reveled her pregnancy till she was diagnosed with terminal cancer when the boy was 14. After her death Senator Creed assumed custody of his son and Graydon Jr. was sent to a boarding school and later graduated top of his class at the New York police academy." The Photo of a serious young man with short Blond hair and gold eyes, took up the screen. He was formally posed in a policeman's dress blue uniform holding a cap against his chest. "No word or ransom demand has yet been received." Photos of a police station then appeared. "Shortly after the disappearance of officer Creed flags and flowers started to appear on the steps of the 9th Station. Senator Creed will be holding a press conference to respond to the kidnapping of his son, which he insists goes to prove that his stand on the dangers of mutants among us is one everyone should be embracing." The War room was silent till, 

"Wow he looks like a normal skin colored, guy version of you Mystique, but with 'Tooth's coloring." Bobby pointed out in a surprised voice as he turned to the look at the stunned woman near him.

"He has a son." She whispered in shock, "But this would mean I'm a-"

"Grandma and that means Sabretooth here is a grand-" Bobby stopped what he was about to say when he found himself looking down the barrel of a laser pistol.

"Don't ever call me that again or you'll be margarita ice." Mystique threatened. Murmurs broke out in the room as everyone started to discuss what they'd just heard. Sabertooth for a change stayed silent.

'Another Creed and I'm his Grandpa… I'm some kid's grandpa. That was my grandson Graydon Jr. no his partner called him Toby, ya Toby that's a grandson kind of name.' Sabretooth shifted trying to absorb it all. 'And the kid's a cop to boot. Officer Creed, nice ring to it.' But another thought nagged at him. 'He could be dead now, and if that no good son of mine raised him he's gota be a mutant hater like his old man.' Creed shuttered like someone had walked over his grave.

"A press conference? What kind of father uses his son's kidnapping to further his stand against mutants?" Jubilee asked. Scott jumped up and slammed his fist into the open palm of his other hand.

"That it Jubes just hit the nail on the head, Creed lives to show mutants in a bad light. Mutants kidnapping 'his' son is a really good way for him to get more support for his twisted view across, but I'll bet you that those weren't mutants we saw… it was the FoH posing to look like mutants." Scott hurried to call up the footage from the battle.

"Someone having a Sherlock Holmes moment much?" Jubilee whispered to Logan. Wolverine grunted. 

"ol' one-eye has a point." Logan pointed out. Soon the footage Scott had called up was being slowed down and magnified.

"Look here." Forge pointed at a burst of fire. "That's a flame thrower not a mutant manifesting his power." The others gave their comments and soon it was easy to spot the set up as a fake. "I'll email this to Agent Cooper and she can get the word out to the media, can you call up a bird's eye view of the street Cyclops? We need to figure out how they got away." Scott soon had it on screen. "Perfect, now overlay where the 'mutant' pockets were barricaded." The two maps gelled together. "Where could they have run off to hide after setting off those flash bombs?" Forge wondered a loud. Sabretooth looked at the screen and leaned closer to see the little yellow circles that appeared inside every one of the barricades.

"They didn't run off after the flash bombs, they ran down before they went boom." Everyone in the room turned to look at him.

"Ran down? What do you mean, they ran down, to where." Bishop asked. Creed smiled and looked at Gambit and Angel.

"We've all been there, haven't we boys. You both know where they went just as well as I do." Remy stiffened in his seat and Warren frowned, his hand unconsciously going behind to stroke his newly feathered wings.

"The sewers." Both men whispered in unison.

""Ya the sewers." Creed confirmed. "So now what are we going to do about it." He asked. Scott sat and started giving out assignments, 

"Logan you and a small team will go to 5th Ave. and follow the fake mutants to find out where they excited the sewer system, once you reach the end of the trail call and the rest of the team will join you and-" Sabretooth cut him off, 

"That's my grandson I'm the one going in there after him." Everyone was shocked, then Mystique stepped forward.

"I'm in on this too, I'll trust Vic's nose before I'd trust his." She pointed at Logan. "They have too much history between them for me to trust that he won't seek revenge by conveniently not finding any trace of that young man." Jubilee jumped up.

"Hey, Wolvie isn't like you. He has his honor and even if it was Graydon himself that got taken Wolvie would save him anyway." She defended. Forge stood,

"Enough, this arguing doesn't help save that Officer." He looked at Scott and the other man nodded. "Fine Creed and Raven will join Wolverine and whoever else is assigned to the sewer recon, any problems and you will both be pulled back." After that planning was stepped up.

****

Somewhere dark:

Toby Creed opened his eyes, but saw nothing, the room or wherever he was, was too dark for anyone to make out how it looked , he could still smell the sticky sweetness of the chloroform that had been used many times to keep him knocked out. 

*flashback*

"Hay not so much, that stuff will kill him…" a voice warned.

"We aren't aloud to kill him…" Another confirmed.

"Not yet anyways." A third voices had said as he'd been dragged along someplace that smelled so foul his nose blocked up, and wherever they where it had a strange echoing sound that made their footsteps ring with every step. "But we are aloud to mark him up. It will make better pictures the boss said." Toby felt the lower part of his uniform soaked from the knee down, he groaned then and his head spun faster, but the sweet smell joined the foul again and he slipped back into darkness.

*Flashback end*

Noises came from around him and he shifted, his own groan, scurrying little feet, squeaks, and chains rattling... Chains? He slowly flexed his body. Both his wrists were heavy with metal and a tight band bit into his neck. He got to his knees and explored with his fingers, the chains attached to the wrist cuffs were bolted to the stone wall behind him, about three feet up the wall, the collar's chain was attached to the wall about a foot higher, the chains themselves were about five feet in length and left him only a little slack to be able to lay down on the rough concrete and dirt floor, there was no blanket or mat of any kind nearby and the room… cell actually, was cold and damp as if it was underground. Suddenly a bright light hit him in the eyes and Toby flinched.

"I thought I heard you moving in there." A bolt being thrown back was heard and the squeal of a rusty metal door filled the silence. Toby was shivering, his wet cloths and the chill in the room was seeping into his bones. The man, who was wearing brightly colored cloths and a full face mask, saw the shivering. "Cold hu?" Toby nodded stiffly. "This should warm you up, nothing like a good fight to get the blood flowing… ha that's a joke." Then the man's fist slammed into him and Toby hit the floor.

"Please, why are you doing this to me?" Toby asked the man who hit him several more times before he answered. 

"Because I'm a mutant and I'm better then you." The man grabbed Toby by his hair and lifted his face to the light to look at the swiftly forming bruises. "Ya that will look real good." He said cryptically. "Still cold well getting out of those wet things will help you warm up, here I'll even help you." The man took out a knife and started cutting off Toby's uniform, it was difficult to work in the light form the single flashlight and Toby fought him, but after a time the uniform lay in shreds around Toby and there were many bloody cuts left behind to testify as to how the task had been done. "There no more damp cloths to chill you." The man laughed before leaving the cell and slamming the door behind him. Toby tried to collect the scraps of fabric around him but there wasn't much left that could cover anything. 

'I promised mom I wouldn't do it anymore… I promised her.' Toby kept thinking over and over to himself, but the cold was worse now and he could feel the heat leaving his body. 'Mom wouldn't have wanted me to die.' He tried to reason, 'She'd understand that I need to live.' With that thought Toby did something he hadn't done in six long years … he started to used his mutant powers.

**********

The Sewers:

The small group stumbled along searching for any signs of the imposters and the missing officer.

"I got something here!" Logan called out as he held up his hand. Sabretooth bounded over and looked at the object… a hat, a police officer's cap. Logan wasn't sure but he thought he saw Creed's hand shake as he took the cap from him and hold it to his nose to try and get a sent from it.

"Irish Spring and old Spice." Creed murmured. Logan nodded.

"Ya, cop's pay doesn't buy a guy that Calvin Kline junk." Logan watched Creed stroking the cap unconsciously.

"Lets go, I got a whiff of chloroform off this way." Creed said briskly after a moment of scilence. The group moved on down the tunnel.

"Mamma," Rogue, who'd insisted on helping to look for her 'Nephew' called out to Mystique, "Cyclops says Creed is about to start his press conference, he'll patch it in on our com-links so we can hear it too." Mystique nodded but kept her eyes trained on their mission.

********

The Press conference:

The reporters jostled each other for the best positions around the platform. Graydon Creed Sr. peeked out from behind the curtain before turning to look at his assistant.

"Bates, you know when to interrupt right?" He asked the distinguished looking black man standing beside him.

"When the Q & A gets too sympathetic for the 'innocents' among the guilty mutants or things get too sticky, I'll rush in and pull you aside." Bates confirmed.

"Perfect, I think they've waited long enough." Creed started to move off, but stopped. "Bates radio Carlos and have them see to it that the bastard is photo ready for when we go in and get him out." Bates nodded as he watched Creed walk out onto the platform.

'Bastard, man from where I'm standing you're one of the coldest I've ever seen.' Bates thought before he put the call in to his buddy Carlos. "Make the kid look real good for when we come for him, I give you the signal right before we get there." Putting the cell phone away Bates went to stand behind Creed and wait for his cue.

*

"…no demand has yet arrived, but I have some of my best men out looking for my son, not to forget the fine man and women of our very own NYPD." Creed let the crowd applaud for a time, "Mutants are calculating and heartless, my son was taken from me as a pressure tactic to make me drop my position on the threat mutants mean to our lives, our families and our world. I won't be forced by this situation, if one hair has been harmed on my son's head I will call for the full extent of the law, the law that my son defends as an officer in the NYPD, to be used on his kidnappers." More cheers rang out and people started to hoist FoH banners around the conference hall. The reporters became animated.

"Senator Creed, aren't you afraid that your words might insight the mutants to harm your son even now?" One asked and then the questions started to come, inside Creed smiled as everything fell right into place as planed. That is till Agent Valerie Cooper walked in and asked him,

"Senator Creed, are you aware that the so called 'mutants' involved in this morning's confrontation weren't really mutants at all? That analysis of the footage shows it was nothing more then a light show with some flame throwers and grenades thrown in by men dressed as mutants." Creed frowned for a split second.

"Miss?" He inquired.

"Special agent Val Cooper, liaison officer to X-Factor." She smiled, "Before you even say anything about them being mutants, the video has also been examined by the FBI and they are in complete agreement that those mutants were fakes." Creed nearly growled he was so angry.

"Then where is my son?" Before Cooper could open her mouth Bates stepped up, "Yes Bates what is it?" Bates whispered into his ear. "They have!" Creed exclaimed as he hugged the man and turned smiling to the crowd, ignoring agent Cooper. "Word has just reached my assistant that they have located my son, so if you'll excuse me I must go to him." Creed rushed off with Bates next to him. As they sat alone in the car he hissed, "That bitch and her big mouth, she ruined everything. Well lets go get him, a touching family reunion just might salvage some of this fiasco." 

*********

The Sewer:

"They found him! Lets get out of here… I want to see my gran- um kick Graydon's ass." Sabretooth headed for the closest manhole, and the others followed him eagerly as Logan radioed their position in to the mansion for a pick up. Within a half hour they were on their way back to the base to get cleaned up. The funny thing to Logan was that Victor still had the cap clutched to his chest… much like the kid had held it in the photo they'd all seen.

*********

In the Dark Place:

The door was still locked but the cell no longer contained a shivering member of the NYPD, in his place a sleek Lynx restlessly tried to paced the confines of the cell. Toby had shifted into the cat shape for warmth and had found that the cuffs on his wrists had fallen off easily, but the one around his neck held fast till he realized he'd have to shift into a smaller creature to remove it, the memory of the rat's surfaces and he stared to shift down. Just then the sound of foot falls reached his ears, the man was coming back and Toby decided he wasn't going to stick around to be beaten again, he finished taking his rat form and hurried to hide in the darkest corner… where he found a hole in the wall. From there he watched as two men come into the cell.

"Officer Creed we're here to rescue you." One of them said as he pointed a light at the wall then at the floor and the empty cuffs, before turning to his friend, "Carlos, where is he?" Both men flashed their lights around the cell, it was empty. "Look the boss is going to be here any minute we have to make this look good and he's gone!" The other man, Carlos, Looked everywhere. 

"Hey I left him right there after I beat him dressed in those stupid 'mutant' cloths, I never unlocked the chains and I even cut his cloths off him… cut him too so he'd look real good and I never even got around to give him the second beating Creed wanted him to have so the blood would look fresh for the reporters. How the hell do I know where the guy went?" They yelled back and forth about how everything was going to blow up in their faces. "I'm not going to stick around for when the shit hits the fan." Carlos yelled and ran out fallowed by the other man. After a moment Toby scurried out of the hole, he was shocked. His own father had planed all this. In anger his concentration forgotten Toby took his true form, yes it was that of officer Creed so he stood 6.7', his gold hair longer then it had been in the photo fell in curls hiding his pointy ears, his fingernails were normal enough till he extended them into 3 inch long claws when he flexed his hands, and angrily slashed the stone wall leaving deep claw marks behind.

"My own father did this to me after I hide my powers away all these years to try and make him love me, like mom wanted me to." Finally he let his tail grow back to it's full length of five feet (Okay so he is kinda like an older Griffin but he can only shift into male animal forms, completely or partially, and they can be real or fictional creatures). Toby looked at his tail, it had been so long since he'd last seen it. That's when shouts of, 

"Freeze NYPD nobody move." Reached his ears from the hall, with a sigh of relief Toby slipped back into his chains and shifted his tail away again as he curled up on the ground, there was dirt and dried blood on him but for some reason not a single cut or bruise marked his skin. From before he could remember Toby had always been a quick healer and his mother had often boasted how he never got sick like other children. The voices were closes now and suddenly,

"Dame it kid… kid you okay? Talk to me partner." Shin Taro Murphy was there pulling him up into his arms and fussing over him. "Shit he's nearly frozen." His partner said pulling off his coat and wrapping it around Toby's torso. "Somebody get these fucking cuffs off him and get a stretcher down here." Toby opened his eyes.

"My father did this to me… Murphy he planed-" Toby tried to say more but an other officer was there taking off the cuffs and collar, paramedics were there then taking him away from Murphy and covering him with blankets. "He did it." Shock took over and he started to shake as he was wheeled out.

"Don't worry kid I'll be right here with you." Murphy promised him as he followed behind.

*

Outside:

Reporters were being held back by police and when the two men were lead out cuffed to each other they started yelling questions.

"Is Officer Creed alive?"

"Why did you do it." And a still clueless one asked,

"What are your mutant powers?" The two men started yelling that Senator Creed had planned the whole thing and that they were pawns in his plan to show mutants as the evil they were. This was greeted with disbelief from most of the listeners and acceptance by few, only to have Creed himself step forward and look into the closest cameras to say,

"Would I really hurt my son, my only son, for what is a known fact? I ask you, who do these people think they are, who will take the word of two criminals over mine." The noise level rose even higher as the stretcher carrying Toby came out of the old abandoned church that had been around since pioneer days. "Tobias!" Graydon called out sweeping away from the camera to reach his son's side just before he could be loaded into the waiting ambulance. "Is he unharmed?" Creed asked one of the attendants, as Toby flinched from the bright lights of the cameras.

"There doesn't seam to be a mark on him sir, nothing a good shower and a lot of rest won't cure." For a moment Graydon frowned. Unharmed but how was it possible he'd been told by Carlos that he'd been beaten and marked up really well earlier. He leaned over Toby and looked closer, could his son be like his own father… No! That thing was not his father, but if Toby was like 'that man' Graydon would find out and if he was he'd take care of the situation himself. 

"Son, I swear I'll see that you are well taken care off." Toby looked up into his father's golden/brown eyes.

"I know what you did, I heard them talking… you planed all this and I-" Toby took a breath, "I never want to see you again Mr. Creed." Graydon reeled back from the hate in his son's eyes, hate he'd only ever seen in his own eyes when he'd thought of his father. "Never." The word hung in the air between then as Toby was loaded into the ambulance, when Graydon was about to climb into it with Toby, thinking of how the reporters would lap it up, he was stopped short by a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Your ears not working Mr. Creed? Toby said to get lost, and I'll be right there to see to it you never get a second chance to finish what you started here." Officer Shin Taro Murphy leaned forward, his Raven black hair and tilted eyes stamped him with his mother's Japanese ancestry, but the streaks of white at his temples, white skin, his green eyes and 6 foot 5 frame backed up her word that his father had been an American. Graydon looked into the younger man's eyes and could have sworn that the left one flashed with a gold light for a second before the officer whispered. "You may be able to worm your way out of any charges for this, but I know what you're thinking and I'll know when you're coming cause I can hear your thoughts a mile away… literally." Then an invisible hand closed around the back of Senator Creed's neck and pushed him away from the ambulance as Murphy jumped in beside his partner and said, "Kid it looks like I'm going to have to teach you a few ground rules about being a mutant in Manhattan." Murphy saw Toby gasp and look frantically at the medic beside them. "Don't worry I'm blocking him out, he thinks you are resting comfortably and he can't hear a thing we're saying." 

"Murphy? How did you know? Why-" Toby started to ask.

"Because I'm a mutant too, and I read your mind the first time we met." 

"Is that why you finally said yes to me being your partner? Was it because you realized I was a mutant too?" Murphy looked surprised. Toby smiled, "I've got good ears, heard you yelling about being assigned a partner from across the station." 

"Ya you got good ears and they're as pointy as your little head kid. Let's face I knew you didn't know the first thing about using your powers the first time I saw you, you were repressing them and I thought I could help you to learn to accept yourself. Now your old man is just figureing out that you're one of the enemy, don't worry I know you'll turn out just fine with some help." Toby frowned.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm psychic." Murphy said simply, Toby looked at his smiling partner and rolled his eyes as he lay back down.

"Ya right."

The end for now.

See FoH: Murphy's Law for part 2.


	2. FoH: Murphy's Law

Murphy's law (PG version)

The X-Men, X-Factor and the FoH (Friends of Humanity) belong to Marvel Comics and are used without permission. No money is being made from this story, I'd loved to be hired by Marvel so I could but like that will happen… right. Graydon T. Creed Jr. is my Baby, as is Shin Taro Murphy. So if you want to use them please ask, submit a blood sample and write a 1, 000,000 word explanation on what you want to do with them and then I might let you borrow the boys. 

**Notes: I've always wanted to write an FoH fic, I finally found the right story drifting around in my mind and typed it out in two days. Now that I've done 'FoH: Forgotten Offspring Hidden' I was asked by my friend Linda J. to write a part two for this fic… so here it is (you really read the other one first). **

**Dedication: This one is for you Linda J.**

**Series order:**

1) FoH: Forgotten Offspring Hidden

2) FoH: Murphy's Law (Original) OR FoH: Murphy's Law (Adult M/M version)

FoH: Murphy's Law

By DelCreed

griffincreed@hotmail.com

Started on: October 21, 2002

Revisions Finished on: October 27, 2002 

The ambulance pulled up outside the hospital's emergency room entrance, reporters were already there trying to get photos of the fallen police officer and the medics had to push people aside as they wheeled Toby Creed into the strong smelling, sterile corridor. With a flash of his badge at a security guard, officer Shin Taro Murphy followed his partner inside.

          "Hey Murphy I don't like hospitals… my mom died after a long fight with… cancer." Toby stammered, he was so tired his words were tripping over his lips. "I really hate hospitals." He insisted and Murphy placed his calming hand on Toby's shoulder as he created a mind block between Toby and his anxiety.

          "Don't worry you'll be out in no time, till then I'm right here with you kid." Toby frowned up at his partner's inverted face.

"I'm not a kid, you know I finished top of my class in the academy and-" Murphy cut him off having heard this all before,

"Got a commendation for bravery in your first three months out. Ya so you've said, but which one of us is it that's flat on his back here Kid?" Toby's grimace only made Taro smile more as Toby's thoughts hit him. "Oh really, you'll have me on my back one of these days, will you?" At Toby's shocked look Taro whispered quickly as the medics walked out of the examinations room, and the Doctor, an old friend of Taro's from high school, came towards them, "I wasn't peeking in your head, you're projecting your thoughts right at me partner." Another image flashed across his mind. "Stop I'll blush." They both laughed till Dr. Anne Ames cleared her through. 

"If you'll step out Taro I have to examine this officer now." 

"Hey Anne, this is my partner Toby Creed, so you be extra careful okay." Toby looked at her for a moment then nodded Murphy out. 

"Get lost Murphy." Toby whispered sleepily.

"Prefect, so kid gets the lovely MD checking out his body and I get to go drink hospital coffee, you're all heart Creed." Murphy walked off down the corridor to a row of vending machines, he didn't want to go too far from the gentle presence of the mind link he'd set on Toby to help calm him about being in the hospital. In the battle between his 'brothers in blue' and the fake mutants Taro had kept his cool… he was known for his cool, heck he was even nicknamed 'Zen' back at the station, but when he'd seen Toby rush out into the line of fire after a child he'd nearly lost it, then when he'd seen the men take out his partner he 'had' lost and had to be held back by the other officers. A sick feeling had hit him until he'd had the stupid kid back where he could keep an eye on him. When Ann came out he jogged back over to speak with her. "So how is he?" She away from the chart she was filling in and looked at him.

"Officer Creed is exhausted, in need of a bath and a good night's rest, other then that I can't find a mark on him that would account for the dried blood I found on his body. I've taken samples for the lab to test for HIV and other diseases, but he refuses to stay the night for observation. I understand he lives alone, dose he have anyone who could watch him for a day or two?" She asked.

"I will, I don't like the idea of him going back to his place just yet… not after what happened to him today." 

"Shin Taro I've known you for years and this is the first time I've ever seen you so emotional about anyone." Anne looked at him and he raised his chin.

"He's my partner of course I'm concerned about him." Taro defended himself. She looked at him sadly for a moment before she turned to walk away. "Hey Ann you got something he can wear, I don't want to walk around town with a six and a half foot tall nude guy… I could be arrested for inciting a riot." Ann turned back and smiled.

"Way ahead of you there Taro, I had a nurse get him some scrubs, but what a shame to cover up all that golden skin." She pouted and Murphy groaned.

"Hay I heard that," Toby's embarrassed voice came suddenly from the cubical making Murphy jump, "I'm sleepy not deaf." Anne laughed as the younger man stepped out into the hall dressed in blue scrubs, he was red faced. "Can I go home now?"

"Yes, you signed yourself out of my care and I can't keep you even if I'd like to." Anne told him. 

"Anne what would Dave say if he heard you talking about Toby like this?" Anne shrugged.

"Dave says I can still look as long as I don't touch. Night guys… or is it morning now?" She said has she walked off giving Taro a pointed look and sending a flirtatious one to Toby. Toby whispered to Taro as he swayed towards him, 

"She touched… who's Dave?" Murphy caught him by the arm and they started walking out.

"Her husband, would you believe she met him at the grocery store of all places… he's a butcher, real good with a knife." Taro saw Toby look after Anne.

"Well I guess we'll just say she touched in a Doctor kind of way and leave it at that, okay?" Murphy laughed.

"Sure. Come on lets get you to bed." They both stepped outside, and looked around.

"Murphy how do I get home my bus pass is back at the station and," He whispered, "I'm really not ready to try shifting into something with flying abilities." Murphy pulled him over and headed for the parking attendant's booth.

"I'd like to see you try and get on a bus dressed like that, and you don't have the experience or the strength to use your gifts right now." Taro assured him, just before they reached the parking attendant. "Evening, I'm officer Murphy did a co-worker of mine come by and drop off my car?" He asked as he showed his I.D. and the attendant tossed him a set of keys, "Thanks, right this way kid. I asked officer Trundle to bring my car here before I got in the ambulance with you." Soon they were driving west through the city, Toby was nearly asleep falling towards Taro's shoulder but he jerked awake and asked,

"Where are we going? My place is north of here." Taro nodded.

"Ya but mine is this way, Anne said you shouldn't to be left alone tonight so you're coming to my place." Toby tried to argue but his partner had an excuse or a reason for everything. "I have that spare key you gave me, I'll get you some cloths later and check on your blasted fish. Now just try to get some rest till we get to my place."

"Um.. Taro I don't have a fish." Taro snorted,

"I'll get you one." They laughed and with that Toby did doze off, only to be awoken again to have Murphy half dragged him up six flights of stairs to his third floor apartment, swearing in his ear the whole time about lousy building maintenance and perpetually busted elevators.

"Its your own fault Murphy, this is what you get for brining your work home with you." Toby joked in the way all exhausted people do, and like them he found himself a real riot. "Murphy?"

"Ya." He gasped as Toby fell against him again.

"I can't feel my tail! Can you feel it?" Murphy stopped and looked at him.

"Toby you don't have a tail."

"YES I DO TOO HAVE ONE!" Toby shouted at him, and Taro tried to hush him. "See right here." Taro groaned because Toby had dropped his pants and turned around to show him his backside, which much to Taro's surprise did have a tail sprouting from it and it grew as he watched. "This is my true form you know… have to concentrate a bit to keep the tail away and look normal." Taro rolled his eyes, only thirty more feet and they'd be in his apartment. "I never showed it to anyone before." Then Toby laughed as his tail wrapped around Taro's leg. "Look it likes you." Taro jumped.

"Toby put it away and keep your voice down, people are sleeping. Once we get in the apartment you can relax again, I understand you're so tired that you're beyond silly right now, but its only 30 more feet." Taro tried to pull up Toby's pants but they were stopped by the tail still wrapped around his leg. 'Fine, so we'll look like a messed up version of a three legged race.' Taro sighed as he kept one hand around Toby's back and with the other he was holding up the sagging pants in an attempt to keep his partner's front covered. Thankfully they soon stumbled into his apartment without being seen and Taro was finally able to just use his TK to lift Toby onto his bed and toss the blankets over him. The kid was out like a light even before the covers settled around him. With all the nervous energy and adrenalin he'd used today Murphy should have been ready to sleep too, but he couldn't sit still for even two minutes, so he picked up his keys and left to go get some of Toby's stuff.

*

The room Toby rented in an old boarding house type building wasn't all that big, once inside Murphy remembered Toby telling him that he'd finally found an apartment and was moving in a few days, that easily explained the two boxes on the desk and the open suitcase on the single bed, in the closet Taro saw only some of Toby's extra uniforms.

"Who the heck has only two boxes and a suitcase of cloths as all their worldly possessions in this day and age?" He said to himself shocked, when he'd moved out of his parent's house his comic book collection had taken more room then all this. "It'd be easier to just bring it all over to my place now." So he packed the uniforms into the case, stacked the boxes one on the other, and got ready to leave, that's when he smelled smoke through the slightly open window and a stray thought hit him.

~Burn Mutant spawn… little bastard you are just like my parents aren't you, a mutant~ Then it was gone, but the smoke got stronger. The building was on fire. Taro rushed to the window and flung it open, he looked down seven stories.

"An here I was complaining about being on the third floor earlier." He grabbed Toby's things and jumped out the window, and used his TK bubble slow his decent so he reached the ground unharmed. Tossing the things into his car he rushed to see where the fire was. A large pile of trash in the ally was ablaze along with a large part of the building. Taro quickly smothered out what he could of the flames with some well placed TK blasts that slowed the flamed, and at the cry of a fire truck's siren he left the job for the rest for the pros. "All I a night's work for super cop." Murphy said to himself sarcastically, but suddenly he thought 'what if whoever had set this fire,' and he only needed one guess, 'knows where Toby is right now.' Taro pressed the gas and raced back to his place, where he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Toby sleeping peacefully in the nest of blankets he'd made of Taro's bed.

*

The Next morning:

"Hey Murphy thanks for bringing some of my stuff over." Toby said as he joined Taro at the table, after he'd showered and dressed in his own cloths. Then he saw the boxes over by the door. "Hey that's some more of my stuff."

"Some?" Murphy asked.

"Well yes, I kept the other things that didn't fit in my room in the storage locker in the basement." Taro smiled,

'Ha, I knew he had more stuff.' He thought triumphantly. "I had to bring it kid, your building caught fire last night when I was there getting your cloths, thought it would be best to just grab everything and get out." Taro went on to explain the situation and his assumptions.

"So you think it was my… father?" Toby asked him and Taro nodded. Toby shook his head. "I wonder if this is how Skywalker felt when he discovered Vader was his dad?" Taro snorted before he could stop himself. "Guess I'll have to go see what I can salvage of my other things." Taro offered to go with him later in the afternoon.

"Will we need to rent a truck?" Murphy asked. "I can borrow one from the impound lot."

"No, I only had three boxes of book, my guitar and an amplifier down there." 

"Oh." Taro wasn't about to admit it but he felt like pouting, his mother had threatened, from time to time, to bulldoze his room since he'd reached the age of ten till he'd left home and realized himself how much of it was junk. The funny thing was that he could go back to his old room now and see that his mom had placed everything he'd left behind back in it's proper place. 

"I walk in there and it looks like a shrine to the ancestors. Some day I'll catch her burning incense in front of your soccer trophies." His father had joked. "I tried to convince her to turn it into a computer room or sewing room and I think her eyes burned a hole right through the back of my head." Taro brought his thoughts back to the situation.

"You don't have much stuff do you." Toby shrugged.

"Mom and I moved around a lot till she got sick, then da- Mr. Creed packed me off to boarding school as soon as he could. You really can't fit a lot of 'things' into a footlocker." Toby explained.

"You play the guitar?" This was the first Murphy had ever heard of this side of his partner. "What style?"

"Electric, I like the bluesy sounds of the south; you know the kind of music you hear in that movie 'Had Target' with Van Damme. All I got for my birthdays and Christmases were checks, so I got myself a good instrument and signed up for the classes at school, but they only taught classic, it was a start… then I went on to teach myself more. I actually thought about joining a band when I was finished school but I decided to become a cop because my mom was a drug addict… that's what really killed her, it wasn't cancer. When she was gone the state looked into my birth and found out who my father was, it was in all the news for a time because Creed had just become a senator. Courts deiced I was my father's responsibility and he put the word out that my mom had died of cancer, then he never let me forget what she'd been. I thought if I could make it harder for people to sell or buy drugs I might be helping some other kid's moms so they wouldn't go through what I did." Toby took a breath. "Why did you become a cop Murphy?" Toby was suddenly curious to learn a little more about his co-worker too.

"Well I was born in Japan, my mom was geisha who became pregnant by an American, her bosses weren't too happy about that, in their eyes it projected the wrong image of their profession. So she asked the US embassy for American visas when I was five, we moved over here and we settled in New Jersey. I've wanted to be a cop from the time I got lost in a shopping mall once, right after mom and I arrived in the states, an off duty cop found me and then brought me back to her. I decided right there I wanted to help people like he did."

"That's a good reason; ever wonder what happened to that guy?" Toby asked.

"I don't need to wonder, he made detective in the B&E (breaking and entering) division a few years later, then became chief of the division. He retired about two years ago, now he and mom spend winters driving across the southern states in a Winnebago."

"Him and your mom?" Toby was confused, "Did I miss something in the story?"

"Officer Joseph Ben Murphy took one look at my mom, when we found her she'd been crying since the moment she discovered I was missing, and they fell in love with each other in the middle of the mall's food court. Four months later they were married and he officially adopted me." Toby sniggered.

"That explains the name that doesn't gel with your looks, but how did he feel about you being a… well a-"

"Mutant?" Murphy finished for him and Toby nodded, "Well he had some warning, my mom knew my dad was one. I look just like 'him' she says 'cept for my eyes, his were blue and she doesn't really know where I got green eyes from, but mom said his left eye did this too." Taro manifested his powers and his left eye flared with a gold light.

"Cool, can you see in the dark too?" Toby asked.

"No, can you?" Taro asked jokingly.

"Actually yes I can, if there is a minimal amount of light my eyes can amplify it to a point." 

"So the Ray Bans™ you wear most of the time outside are a 'must have' item, not an 'I'm cool' thing?" Toby nodded. "Guess that explains the reason you never seam to have your flashlight." They talked for a wile longer, Murphy had called in and asked for some over due time off and Toby was on doctors orders to rest till Monday, so after lunch they went by the station to pick up Toby's personal effects that had been recovered at the crime scene. With his wallet, badge and various other things they went to see about getting the rest of Toby's things from his old building. When they drove up the building wasn't as damaged as they'd thought it would be, but there was a lot of water damage now. Toby was one of the lucky ones, because his things had been in the rear of the storage area and hadn't been damaged. Their conversation on the way back to Murphy's got around to Toby's new apartment. "You tell your father about your new place?" Toby's face fell, "I'll take that as a yes."

"I don't believe this, I finally found a halfway decent place to live in, that I could afford on my pay and now I'll have to dump it, where do I go from here?" Taro thought for a moment and looked around hedging for a moment.

"You could always stay with me, I have an extra room and even a washer and dryer." Toby's mouth dropped opened to protest, "Give me a moment to explain my idea. I've got a spare room, and you don't have a lot of stuff to leave laying around for me to complain about. We could split the cost of the rent 50/50 and we'd divide the utilities, everyone wins." Taro saw Toby's doubtful look, "Truth is you'd be doing me a favor if you said yes, I'd be able to afford food without the rent here is killing me." Toby looked at the clean lines of the apartment, the compact kitchen and his partner's calm face.

"Your mother helped you decorate the place didn't she?" He asked before going over to the 'spare room' Taro had mentioned. Opening the door he found nothing but an exercise bench and a half filled bookcase in a room painted light blue. The closet had what looked like camping gear and lots of long narrow white boxes in it.

"I can easily fit all this stuff back in my room or in the living room." Taro assured him. "Was the place you were going to rent furnished?" Toby shook his head.

"No, I've been saving money to get the basics, and the laundry mat was two blocks away. It is tempting, if I did move in all I'd need is a bed, dresser, some sheets and towels. Did you realize this room is the same color as out uniform shirts?" Toby asked as Taro shrugged.

"Mom chose it."  

"Are you really sure about this?" Murphy looked at his young partner, with him living here he would be able to keep the kid safer and teach him more about living with his mutation.

"Look you need help dealing with this situation, the whole 'being a mutant in a world that hates you' is new to you and I've got more experience at it then you do. I can't say it will be easy but I'll help you learn to live with yourself, and I really do need a roommate. Worse comes to worse I'll kick you out or shoot you if you get on my nerves." Toby smiled.

"Ya but I heal real fast and you'll feel guilty after. I know our powers aren't the same, you are one of those 'mind' mutants and I'm a physical one but I guess with the having to hide it from others we're somewhat the same." 

"What exactly can you do anyway?" Murphy asked. So instead of telling him Toby decided to show what he could do.

"I looked it up once and the closest I can figure is that I heal really fast, realized it when I was cutting a ham in my boarding school's mess hall once and the knife slipped, I stabbed myself in the arm, but before anyone saw I pulled it out and the wound closed up in about a second or two, mom had always boasted I never got sick a day in my life. You know about the night vision, and I have really good hearing, eyesight and my scene of smell… let's just say there is a reason I avoid officer Plotsnik."

"Isn't he the guy who has liver and onions fro lunch everyday over in homicide?" Murphy asked.

"That's not all he has, the man's got a big case of the S.B.D's (Silent but deadly), I want to put in a request for a gas mask whenever I'm near him." Murphy was laughing so hard now tears were running from his eyes. 

"Boy am I ever glad I just have my TK and the occasional problem of hold people's thoughts and emotions at bay, if I had to deal with their smells too I don't know what I'd do, probably string a little green tree air fresher around my neck.

"Those make me sneeze, most comical smells do." Toby then continued explaining what he could do. "Basically I'm a Lasamorph. I can become just about any animal, real of mystical I can imagine, as long at it's male and I can even choose what color, size and how much of the animal to become. I mean for example if I wanted to be a lion-" Toby shifted and there before Taro was a large golden lion, who roared once then started to speak with Toby's voice. "I can be one or anything from just having it's paws to a kind of mid humanoid form like a werelion." Again Toby shifted and he was a lion type creature that stood on it's two hind legs and had a face like a mix between lion and human. "My body as you usually see it isn't really me, my true form is kind of animal like, and has been from the time I was about 12." Toby shifted into his true form, the one Taro had seen a lot of the night before, with it's pointier ears, longer claw type fingernails, fanged teeth, very lightly furred golden skin and the long flexible tail that again tried to wrap itself around Murphy's leg. "Sorry it gets away from me sometimes," Toby grabbed it away. "because I don't get to be like this often, mom hated seeing me this way and I was too scared about being seen by someone else. Wow what would Creed have done if he'd known about me being like this?" 

"I think your gifts are amazing Toby. You know if you decide to stay we can break the no pets rule and no one would know about it." Murphy said jokingly. Toby looked at him for a moment with a look Taro didn't understand.

"If the next thing you say is 'I've always wanted a puppy.' You can find yourself another roommate." Then he held out his hand to Murphy and they both laughed. Toby then said he wanted to go shopping for his new furniture the next day and Murphy decided to join him.

*

Shopping in NY:

Isn't it funny how they'd come full circle, because the next morning Taro and Toby found themselves driving by 5th Ave. on their way to J.C Penny's (because Toby had flat out refused to 'see the softer side of Sears'). He'd decided to buy a bed, dresser and linens for his new room. Once those items had been confirmed for next day delivery the two officers stopped for lunch at a deli and Toby insisted on paying for the meal to celebrate having his first real apartment. 

"You're sure a double is big enough for you to sleep in?" Taro asked for the tenth time over his second cup of coffee.

"Yes I'm sure, I sleep all curled up and if the bed is any bigger it won't fit in the room." Toby smiled suddenly.

"What are you grinning about?" Murphy asked suspicious.

"I just thought that if I need a bigger one some night I'll just use yours." Taro's eyes went wide. "Taro you okay?" Toby asked.

""I'm fine, just swallowed my coffee funny." 

"Hey you remember those custom sized superman sheets we saw?" Taro said trying to get back the moment.

"Yes." Taro heard the laugh in Toby's voice, "You didn't… you did, you bought superman sheets for your bed." Toby nodded.

"Yes I couldn't resist they matched the room. But you don't have to be jealous I got you the glow-in-the-dark set we saw as a thank you gift." 

"When did you get a chance to buy those things?"

"When you went to the bathroom, why do you think I kept offering you so much coffee this morning?" Costumers turned to watch the strange man in the corner booth who was hitting his head on the table and muttering to himself,

"I had to ask the kid to stay with me I just had to ask him." Toby smirked happily before asking.

"So when do I get to meet your parents?" Taro whimpered.

*

Over a week later:

Forge contacted Xavier about a request Mystique, and surprisingly enough, Sabretooth had both made. They wanted to meet their grandson Toby Creed. Forge had thought about it for a time and now Mystique was applying pressure tactics… namely he was stuck sleeping on the couch till he arranged the meeting. He decided to ask Xavier to set up the encounter at the mansion, because asking Officer Creed to travel down to Washington D.C. would have looked too suspicious after everything the young man had been through recently. Charles had agreed and seen to it that an old friend, the New York police commissioner, pass on his invitation of lunch to the young man.

*

Taro and Toby's apartment:

Murphy and Toby had had a big day at the station, what seamed like half the force was either down with flu or was getting over it. Murphy was starting to feel out of sorts himself, and he hoped he wasn't going to catch the bug too. Toby, because of his quick healing, went on as normal picking up the slack where he could to give Murphy a break. By the time the shift was over Murphy was dead tired, his body felt like a puppet with it's strings cut. He skipped dinner and went straight to bed. At around ten o'clock Toby knocked lightly and stuck his head in to see if he was sleeping, but he wasn't.

          "Hey, how are you feeling?" Murphy grunted. "Here I brought you some ginger ale, it will help you feel better, had a school nurse swore by this stuff." Taro looked at the glass and then looked at Toby's expectant face before he drank it. The cool liquid tasted like water would to a man who'd just crawled out of the Sahara. 

"Thought you didn't get sick, how come you saw the nurse?" Toby smiled.

"We were having soccer for gym class, I didn't want to play." 

"I played soccer in school." Taro mumbled then he jumped when Toby's hand covered his forehead. 

"Relax, just checking your temperature. You are a little hot, hold off on drinking the rest of that and I'll get you some aspirin." When he came back he handed Murphy to pills. "You still have some leave coming to you, I think you should stay home tomorrow." Toby advised.

"I'll be fine."

"Yes, but you'll be even better after a day of rest." With that Toby headed for the door.

"You're not my mom." Taro called after him and Toby paused.

"Thank goodness," He looked down at himself, "it would have hurt like the dickens to push you out, and you'd be even uglier. Night Taro." Toby clicked off the lights. Murphy's words ran though his mind, and a moment later he pressed the speed dial on the kitchen phone. "Hello, Mrs. Murphy, sorry to bother you so late, my name is Toby Creed I'm your son's partner… hello Mrs. Murphy, hello… Mr. Murphy hello, no he is fine and in one piece, yes please tell Mrs. Murphy… oh… hello again Mrs. Murphy I'm really sorry that you thought I was calling to – no he isn't hurt but Taro has the flu. That is why I called so late," Toby looked at the clock, 10:15pm "I have to go into work in the morning and I didn't want him to be alone all day so I thought I would call and let you know how he was feeling." Toby cleared his thought, "Because I live with him now, my boardinghouse burnt down a little over a week ago, so he asked me to move into the spare room and share the rent here." Toby smiled. "Yes Mrs. Murphy he is a really good boy… even if he didn't tell you about me. You will come by in the morning, good… yes I leave at 8:30. It will be nice to meet you too, good night to you and Mr. Murphy." Toby laughed silently, Taro was going to kill him, but at least he'd be looked after.

*

Taro couldn't fall asleep; he tossed and turned in bed, but felt too wretched to get up and do anything. Opening his eyes Taro sighed with frustration, the fever made him sweaty and he needed to change his bed sheets. When he was finally able to stand, swaying slightly, he turned on the lights and looked in the closet. The only clean sheets were the Glow-in –the-dark set Toby had given him as a joke. Sighing he opened the package and started making the bed with the odd colored bedding.

*

The next day:

Murphy woke up to see his mother standing over him, surprised he let out a yell.

"Mom! Mom what are you doing here?" She looked at him.

"Good morning to you too number one son," She smiled, "You're friend call, say you not well and that he have to go to work. So we come over." Taro looked surprised, 

"Dad is here too?" She nodded.

"Yes we come just as you're friend was going to catch the bus, Jo he offer to drive him in to the station. That a really nice boy you found, but he looks familiar." 

"Toby was in the news a few weeks ago, he was kidnapped by a group of men pretending to be mutants," 

"Yes I remember now, that a sad story."

"Sadder then you know, it wasn't in the news but the man behind the whole thing was Toby's father." 

"The senator?" Taro nodded, and then answered his mother's questions about how he was feeling. The phone on the bedside table rang a moment later and Min-May (Taro's mom) picked up, "That is Jo, he wants to know if you want him to bring you something." Taro was about to say no, then smiled.

"Yes I there is something I'd like him to get for me."

*

Toby arrived home that night and he was literally bouncing in place as he told Murphy and his parents about the police commissioner coming to see him that day at the station.

"Turns out a friend of his wants to congratulate me on my actions during the false mutant attack, by inviting me to lunch tomorrow at, get this, his mansion… isn't that surprising? What will I wear?" He joked.

"That is wonderful news." Min-May smiled. "You have a suite and tie?" Soon she and Toby were talking about cloths.

"Ya that's really surprising, I'm going with you." Toby's head came up.

"What, why?" Toby asked.

"Its kinda rude to invite yourself to someone's place son." Joe Murphy said.

"Look kid, you were targeted by those 'Mutants', what's to say they won't try a second time to get you, this just may be them trying to get you again. So you're just not going anywhere without me. With your father onto your secret you aren't safe even if this guy 'is' the commissioner's friend." Murphy said. The Murphys then agreed with Taro.

"Well you only had to say that in the first place. Why are you so crabby today?" Toby asked and Taro shrugged.

"I was ill and didn't sleep too good even after the aspirin." He muttered.

"Why not, did you eat something too spicy before you went to bed?" Taro shook his head, "The newly weds next door feeling amorous again?" Toby blushed remembering that Murphy's parents were listening. Again Taro shook his head. "Then what was the problem?"

"Those blasted glow in the dark sheets you gave me are so bright it was like I was wearing night vision goggles to bed." Toby started laughing. 

"You used them, they were just a joke, and you really used them!" Taro pushed him and Toby fell off the couch.

"I was out of clean sheets, I had to use something." His excuse only had Toby laughing harder.

"Well you sleep good tonight Shin Taro, when you were sleep this afternoon I did you're wash." His mother informed him. After a few more minutes the Murphys left and Toby asked Taro,

"So are you feeling okay?"

"Ya the rest helped, it must have been the 24 hour kind of flu I got… thanks for calling my mom." Toby got up and walked to the kitchen.

"No problem, hey you want something from here? I am just getting myself a sandwich for dinner." Taro smiled,

"YA, dad picked up some doenuts for me this morning, can you get me one of the cream filled ones? They're my favorite kind." Toby came out of the kitchen with a plate, he handed Taro the doenut. "Thanks. Too bad this kind is so messy." Toby laughed at him and went back to the kitchen to fix his dinner.

*

Westchester NY:

So the next day Toby Creed and Shin Taro Murphy drove up to Westchester NY, at the front door to Professor Charles Xavier's home they paused, Toby straightened Murphy's tie, then rang the doorbell and they waited for a moment till a young man with dark blond hair answered it. Toby introduced himself to Bobby Drake,

"Hi I'm officer Toby Creed I was invited lunch by Professor Charles Xavier," Murphy poked him from behind, "Oh and this is my partner Shin Taro Murphy, he wasn't asked to lunch but he invited himself along anyway, wouldn't take no for an answer." Bobby turned to greet Toby's partner, but after one 'long' look at Murphy he cryptically sputtered something under his breath and passed out in the entrance, Toby and Taro looked at each other. "They don't do too well with uninvited guest I guess."

"What did he say before he passed out?" Taro asked Toby, because his hearing was better thanks to his mutant powers.

"He said 'oh no another Summers.' and then he went down." Toby informed his partner.

"What's wrong with it being summer?" Both men knelt down next to Bobby, Toby felt for a pulse just as a voice behind them asked,

"What happened here? Robert! Is he injured?" Both men looked up to inform the new comer about what had happened to his friend, but they couldn't say a word once they saw the large, blue, furred mutant that stood before them, then the mutant spoke again to say, "Oh MY STARS AND GARDERS! Another one! Poor Bobby never even made it to the panic button." The man jumped over them to reach out and punch a code into a nearby keypad and a strange alarm began whistling… was that 'Dixie' blaring through the mansion as the lights started to flash… Green? X-Men poured into the hall, Sabretooth and Mystique, who'd been waiting in the study with Forge and Xavier, came out ready for a fight, and Scott, ignoring the flashing lights and noise, marched over to the keypad and turned everything off before turning to glair at Hank.

"I thought I told you and Bobby to dismantle your 'Early Summers warning system', that thing goes off every time my brother, father, or Cable come to visit, what the heck set it off now?" Hank just looked at Scott then with an evil grin, displaying all his teeth, he pointed at the two men kneeling on the floor by the door.

"Um… Hello?" Toby said uncertainly looking around at all the strange people. "Are we too early for lunch?" Then Cable and Domino walked into the room. 

"What the floqu is going on here, why is that floquin' alarm still on?" Cable asked just as he and Murphy saw each other, and they both froze. The likeness between them was really uncanny, but Cable didn't see it, he only felt that something about the man before him cried out to be recognized, and his left eye flashed in frustration. 

"Uh I guess this is where I ask you, have you ever been to Japan sir?" Everyone was silent in the hall as they watched them. Jean stepped over into Scott's arms. 

"Ya, I've been there." Cable said and Taro nodded knowingly. Jean spoke to Scott through their mind link.

~Scott, do you think… could this man be Cable's son? He's somewhere around your age.~ Scott never took his eyes off the seen before them.

~Look at him, he just might be Jean, he just might be. That would mean he is our grandson.~ Jean gasped aloud at that and Taro looked over at her.

"Grandparents." He whispered to himself, as their combined thoughts came to him, he looked for a second longer at the two people, "Well if that's true it looks like I know where I got my green eyes from." Then Taro's left eye flared gold, and Cable finally realized what most of the people in the hall had already realized.

"Um, we could, well should… talk." Cable offered, but Taro looked hesitant.

"Pssst… Offer him coffee and he'll follow you anywhere." Toby said in a stage whisper. Hank giggled and Bobby moaned as he started to come around. 

"Hank… I saw… I saw another one." Bobby whispered.

"Don' worry Bobby, Remy 'll keep you safe from de nasty Summers clan." Gambit stepped forward, earning a dirty look from Rogue.

"Would you like to join me in the… the study?" Cable asked again and this time Taro nodded.

"Sure, but what about them?" Taro pointed to Scott and Jean, "I don't understand why but their thoughts keep saying grandparents in my mind." Scott stepped forward.

"It's a long, complicated story but you should hear it, and we'll be happy to tell it to you." 

"I'll just go get some aspirin for all of you." Hank offered. Taro got up to follow them, but again he stopped.

"What about Toby?" At Murphy's words his partner smiled. 

"Hey I was just invited here for lunch, not to find my long lost relations." Toby joked, but Taro went on asking,

"You people mustn't have a problem with mutants, but what I want to know is why was Toby really invited here in the first place?" Two mutants who'd been hidden from Murphy's sight by Beast's large, blue, furred body stepped silently up behind Toby. Toby didn't notice them as he helped Gambit lift Bobby to his feet again, but Murphy did and he sniggered. "Kid I think actually you were invited for a reunion." The man was tall, blond like Toby but his body was bulkier and his hair much longer, the woman was blue skinned with blood red hair, but her face was a feminine version of his partner's. The woman spoke first,

"He was asked here to meet us." Toby spun around and froze looking at them for a long time before he finally asked,

"Are you here to say you are my birth parents, and that Graydon Creed is not my father?" He sounded so hopeful Mystique hated to deny what he wanted to hear.

"No, we aren't your parents." Toby sighed, "But we are your grandparents." Now he was confused, so Sabretooth just said,

"That little shit father of yours is our son; kid was born a dud and grew up to be a flat scan without any powers." Toby looked at the straight talking man before him and then held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you grandpa." Logan was howling with laughter, but Victor Creed just ignored him, smiled at Toby and yanked the kid into a bear hug. Toby looked at Mystique, "Grandm-" She pulled her gun on him.

"Don't even say it." She warned him.

The end.


End file.
